


Confession

by Galindrael



Series: A Very Dragon Age Christmas [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, But I mentioned it so I'm counting it, DECFANFIC, Day Seventeen, Established Relationship, F/M, Traditions, more lyrium withdrawal, this has nothing to do with traditions- I'm garbage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 23:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2891540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galindrael/pseuds/Galindrael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scáthach and Cullen have had a stressful past few days, but today was the pinnacle of that mountain. Especially when Scáthach finally saw the letter Cullen had been toting around all day.</p><p>For the #DecFanFic challenge.</p><p>There are currently 22 parts to this series, the link, for some reason is broken- sorry for the issue, I'm trying to fix it (as of 1 February 2015)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confession

 

Satinalia had just ended and somehow all that did was make Skyhold more hectic than usual. In just a few days’ time, Cullen and Scáthach were preparing to head to yet _another_ ball, this time sans Leliana or Josephine to help ease matters. Scáthach had been bad-tempered the last few days, Cullen was convinced he had been waking her from his nightmares but she insisted he had not been the cause of it.  She was taking more breaks than usual and each morning he watched her cover her dark circles with make-up. Even last night she barely touched her food and she went to bed much earlier than usual. He wasn’t much better. The lyrium withdrawal was resurfacing, reminding him that it was still beneath his skin pulling at him. Still, Cullen felt his chest tighten when he’d see her obviously uncomfortable with all the meetings despite being unable to do anything about it. Cullen tried to divert paperwork but nearly all of them required the Inquisitor’s direct attention. He added more to his pile of reports so Scáthach wouldn’t have to deal with the added stress.

This morning was routine- Cullen got up, got dressed and went off to train his recruits while Scáthach was up with the sun maybe an hour later. He was usually not there to wake her, but he knew she was awake once people started filling into the Keep’s main hall.  At lunch one of the older mages came up and sheepishly tried to get Cullen’s attention in the tavern where he had been taking his lunch this past week. Today a pain had set behind his eyes and no amount of potion was helping it dull.

 

“Commander?” his voice was soft but strong enough that Cullen heard him over the bustle of the tavern.

He set his tankard down, “Yes?” Cullen sat up straight attempting to yet again fulfill the air of Commander.

“We were wondering,” the man began to fidget with his hands, “If the mages could practice with your recruits. Not- not all of us, just a handful”. _Wonderful_.  Cullen leaned back and sighed. There was no real reason to deny them training.

“Let me ask the Inquisitor,” Cullen grabbed his tankard and drank it empty, “If you’ll excuse me”.

 

As Cullen began to pull his gloves back on Bull was now standing next to him,  “Scáthach and Dorian won’t be back for another hour or so, remember?” _Shit._

“I, uhm,” Cullen felt his fingers start to go numb, “I forgot today was their riding day,” his palms were starting to sweat and a familiar nausea was setting in, and he found himself talking faster than usual, “I’ll see to it as soon as they return. I have work in my office to do, excuse me”.   His tone was tense and Bull had noticed the sweat forming on his brow.

“You alright?” Bull placed a hand on his shoulder and Cullen had jerked away instinctly, an immediate panic upon his face.

“I’m fine, I’m sorry. I have to,” his head was spinning, “I have to go”.

 

Cullen barely made it to his office. He tossed his reports on the desk, dropped to his knees, and retched into an empty bucket. His office was warm but he was shivering. He leaned against the desk, pulled his furs closer and shut his eyes. _This will pass. I am fine. This comes and goes. I’m ok. I’m ok. I’m-_ Cullen grabbed the bucket and threw up once more.  By the time he was finished Cullen felt weak, but better. With shaking arms, he managed to pull himself into the chair and open the desk drawer that held a secret stash of Solas’ potions. _I should be able to not take this. I can’t-I don’t want to have to do this._ Cullen was tired, so tired. His head was throbbing and all he wanted was relief. With great struggle, Cullen took off his armor and let it fall behind his desk. He sighed with relief as the weight fell off.

 _Why am I not taking it?_ Cullen remembered the way it tasted. The surge of power he’d feel after he took it, how powerful he used to be. How strong of a Templar he was. _Not this._ His whole body was shaking. _I can’t_. Cullen felt the bile rise up his throat. _I can’t._ Cullen reached for the water jug on his desk and tried his best to pour himself a glass, some of it missing and soaking the edge of the reports. _I have to._ He sipped the water, trying to get that awful taste out of his mouth. Cullen tried taking deep breaths but it wasn’t helping as much as he’d hoped. He looked into his open drawer and grabbed a potion from it. _“To help with the pain”_ Solas’ words echoing in his mind _. Not with the fucking cravings though._ He sat it on the desk and just stared at it. The vial was intricate and he could feel it humming from within. He watched it swirl and shift, mesmerized by the contents.

Cullen opened it slowly. It smelled strange. _Lyrium smells sweet, though. Why does my lyrium smell strange? What is this?_ _I can’t take this, my Knight-Commander has already issued-_ Cullen was about to recap the vial when he realized what had happened. He sat it down quickly and pushed away from his desk. _Not Kinloch. Not a Templar. Not taking lyrium. I’ll be better when she gets back._ Frantically, he downed the potion and felt his stomach start to burn.  The pain brought relief.   _I need her._ Scáthach didn’t make the pain fade or cravings dull but she filled his thoughts with things other than lyrium and her presence helped ease him back to reality. But sometimes the thoughts would plague him still.

_What if she doesn’t come back? What if she never returns to you? Would she still love you if she knew what you had done? If she knew how you cut the mages down? That you didn’t hesitate to kill them? That you smiled as the mages fell at your feet? If she knew what happened to her in your dreams? What you’re willing to do to protect her? What you have done? What you would do for her? That all she would have to do is ask? Would she still want you after she knew what you were capable of? That you can be more vicious than anyone knows? That when cornered you are a man without mercy? That when cornered, you could kill them **all**? If you took your lyrium how **easy** it would be? How **easy** it can be._

Cullen was struggling to breathe and almost let out a wail when a knock on the door startled him back to the present. He looked around frantically and slowed his breathing before he answered the knock.

 

“Come in,” an errand boy came in slowly with a stack of papers.

“Sorry to disturb, Commander, Lady Josephine asked me to give you the invitations, she-“ he was staring at the bucket.

Cullen reached across the desk and took the papers from his hand, “Thank you”.

“Should I take this to the, uhm, kitchen to be cleaned?” He asked quietly.

Cullen felt his cheeks flush and without looking up, “Yes, thank you”.

 

Cullen couldn’t look up until he heard the door latch. He sighed and set his head on his desk. Finally the potion began to work. He no longer felt sick to his stomach. He went upstairs and picked a few leaves off his peppermint plant to chew on when he heard the horns. _She’s back._

 

By the stables, off to the side, Bull was waiting for Dorian to return to Skyhold as he promised to finally have dinner, just the two of them, this evening. Moments later, Scáthach and Dorian rode in and began to dismount. They were laughing and talking about their ride, completely oblivious to large Qunari sharpening his axe in the corner. 

“Commander Cullen” a nearby guard announced suddenly. Bull turned and was shocked to see Cullen out of his armor but, truly, it was his appearance that caught his attention. Bull watched Cullen whose skin looked a little pinker and was now wearing a thin-lipped smile instead of an outright scowl. Scáthach turned and smiled but was shocked when Cullen dropped his reports to hug her. He pulled her to him and was pressing himself into the crook of her neck. Scáthach dropped her bag and placed a hand on the base of his neck. Dorian walked over to Bull and placed a finger against his lips before he grabbed Bull’s hand and they walked away, Bull stealing another glance wondering what was going on. Blackwall and Dennet trailed behind to give them some space.

 

When everyone was far away, Scáthach finally asked, “Are you ok?” she was looking at Cullen’s tightened face with furrowed brows. He opened his eyes to look at her but he couldn’t find the words. He didn’t answer her but he hoped him pushing her into the stables was answer enough. He was all over her. His hands were pulling and tugging at her, desperately trying to feel close to her. Her touches would ground him. With her he could find the earth beneath his feet once more. He needed her to right him.

“Cullen?” she managed to ask as he was trailing kisses against her neck and undoing his sword-belt with one of his hands.  
“I need you,” he had made his way to her mouth, one hand around her neck securing her face against his. When she pulled back slightly he looked to her with half-lidded eyes.  
“Cullen, we’re in the stables,” she gently reminded him. _Does it matter?_  
“I don’t care,” he looked to her lips wanting nothing more than to find purchase again.    
“Someone could walk in, Cullen,” He pulled back and without a word, shut the doors and locked them, even throwing a couple barrels of hay in front of them, clearly becoming frustrated.  
“There, better?” He was pacing in front of her and she leaned farther back and looked to the doors. _Does she not want me?_  
“Scáthach, do you not want,” _**me** ,_ “to?” His heart was racing, and his irritation bubbling to the surface.  
“Of course, I want to but,” she gestured around, “It’s a barn. A barn isn’t exactly sound proof”. _Is she ashamed of me?_  
“Do you not want others to know I’m fucking you?” Cullen asked in a low voice, unwarranted doubt filling his thoughts. _She doesn’t want you._  
“Cullen,” her voice was strained-she couldn’t believe he just said that, never mind that he asked that question, “What are you talking about,” she stood up, and walked to him slowly. His body tensed as she neared him and he felt his jaw clench tighter.  
“Cullen, are you alright,” she placed a hand on his arm.  
“I want you. _Need_ you,” he closed the distance between them, “Scáthach,” he placed his forehead on hers, “If you don’t want to, tell me **now** , and I’ll go back to my office,” he clenched a fist and shut his eyes tight, “Please, just tell me. Please, Scáthach”. _Tell me you want me. That you need me as I need you._    
He couldn’t open his eyes, he didn’t want to see the look of pity that was surely on her face.

He felt her grab his hands and she slid them under her tunic, the feel of her skin made him open his eyes. She was now staring at his mouth, just as he had done with hers earlier. Cullen smiled in relief and she looked to him and placed her hands on his unarmored chest.

“I want you, Cullen, don’t doubt that,” he was looking to her lips once more, “Cullen, look at me,” He did, and held her gaze, “I want you. _But_ , after we are talking about this,” Cullen nodded, impatience making speech difficult.

 

 _“_ Kiss me,” her hands were traveling down his body now and he reacted more aggressively than he intended. He pushed her back against the wall and kissed her roughly, relishing the moans he was eliciting from Scáthach. He picked her up to pin her against the wall and he deftly began to untie her laces all while keeping his body completely against hers. Her hips grinding against his, her nails digging into his flesh and her little nips against his bottom lip. When she pulled at his hair roughly, Cullen finally had lost his patience. He picked her up and put her on one of the desks long enough for both to shed only what clothes were absolutely necessary and, Maker, help him, he took her roughly and _loudly_.

 

Honestly, it was a blur. He remembered making her cry out so loudly he had placed a hand over her mouth. He remembers hissing as she raked her nails down his back. Her demands were still ringing in his ear; _“Deeper, Cullen”, “Faster,”, “Maker, harder”._ His neck was still sore from her biting it. Remembering her whine his name as she came around him made him shudder. Now the Commander was truly exhausted. Somehow they had ended up on the floor and he was lying next to her out of breath, her hand in his. When both were dressed and had the hay picked out of their hair and clothes, they made their way out of the stables. Surprisingly, no one was around and the couple left with smiles upon their faces.

 

Cullen returned to his office just to put his armor back on and lock up for the evening. When he finally made it back to their room, Scáthach wasn’t there. He kicked off his boots and when it made a thump on the wooden floor he heard Scáthach’s voice coming from the bathroom.

 

“Cullen, is that you” she called out. He was already on his way to the door to hear her better.  
  
“Yes, it’s me,” he opened the door just enough to talk, keeping his eyes to the ground, “Did you need something?”  
  
“Yes, I did,” he looked to the mirror and she wasn’t there, but the reflection of lit torches caused him to turn.  
  
“What did you,” she was in the bath, “need?” he had the reports in his hands still, almost dropping them.  
  
“I needed company,” she smiled, “I figured we could talk I here”. She looked so small in that obscenely large bath and the bubbles made her appear even smaller. Her wet hair was plastered against her head and her perfumed oils made her smell wonderful; like vanilla and chamomile.  
  
“Oh,” he felt his face get hot, which was absurd, he knew, considering what they had just done in the stables.  
  
“Care to join me, Commander?” She asked as she made her way to the edge that was closest to him and gave him a knowing smile.

“Of course,” he watched the steam come off her arms that were resting against the edge of the bath, his body wanting to feel that heat around his aching muscles.

Cullen couldn’t help but to laugh as he turned to set the reports on the sink by the mirror. He made short work of his tunic and was starting to fold it up when he heard a ‘Mm’ behind him. He turned his head to her.

“Are you watching me undress?” He asked, amused at her remark.

“I am” she admitted and he was working on unlacing his breeches, “Don’t fold them, get in here”.

 

His head shot up, and turned to see her smile mischievously at him. Cullen hurried up and made his way to the hot water sitting directly across from Scáthach who crawled up to him and touched his face.

“You’re filthy,” she ran her thumb over his cheek, then dipped it back into the water to keep wiping the dirt from his face.

“The stables will do that,” he smiled then she pulled away.

“Turn around” she demanded. Cullen’s raised an eyebrow and she scoffed, “just do it”.

Cullen turned and jumped when he felt a cloth on his shoulders. She sat directly behind him then squeezed the excess water down his back as she scrubbed away his day. The warm water felt wonderful and he would feel her occasionally just rub her hands down his back which would make him hunch over as she applied pressure.

She ran her fingers softly across the nail marks she had left on his back, “Sorry about that”. She lightly patted them with the cloth.

“I’m not,” she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Lean back a bit,” he did and he felt her tilt his head back then a sudden rush of warmth as she poured water on his head.

“Can you hand me the box on the chair?” _Box?_ He looked around and saw on the chair his grooming kit. He smiled and reached for it, barely having to leave the bath at all.

She squeezed his shampoo into her hands and worked it into his hair. Cullen closed his eyes as she massaged it into his scalp. _Maker, this is everything I’ve ever dreamed of. She’s here, with me, in the quiet._ He sighed as he felt the tension leave him.

 

“So what was today about?” she asked quietly and Cullen’s eyes shot open. _Damn_. Her hands were still massaging his scalp.

“I uhm,” Cullen shifted up, “I had a _bad_ day”. His voice was softer than he meant for it to be and he was staring at the bubbles.

“Oh,” he felt her arms go limp for a moment, “lean back again” he did and closed his eyes as she rinsed the shampoo from his hair. He turned around as soon as he could.

“I’m sorry, I” he felt his eyes start to sting, “I’m sorry”, he pulled her to him, this time his desperate touches were nothing short of saddening. Cullen felt everything filter back in from earlier. Scáthach immediately pulled him closer, “I- I don’t know what happened. I was so angry with myself and I felt so sick, so weak, I” Scáthach was rubbing one shoulder while she held his head against her chest, “I needed to stop thinking about it. I didn’t want to remember. You help me forget, just for a moment”.

After several minutes of silence she finally asked, “Do you,” she was hesitant to ask, “Do you want to talk about it?” _No. I don’t want to…but I should. I should talk about it. If I ever could talk about it, it would be with you._

“I- I don’t know even where to begin it’s so, “ he sighed and pulled away to place his head in his hands, “It’s just difficult to talk about it”.

“You don’t have to, but I just want you to know that if you want to I’m here”. _I should. Maker, we’ve been together for so long, I should…_

“Can we,” he shifted, “can we do this not in the bath?”

“Of course, Cullen,” she smiled and got out of the bath first, handing him a towel. He was shaking. _Why am I so terrified?_  He watched her dry off and get dressed and he bumped into the sink, causing the reports to fall on the floor.

“Shit,” he picked them up quickly and asked her to take them in their room while he finished drying.

 

Scáthach climbed into bed and waited, patiently for Cullen to leave the bathroom. Her heart was beating fast and she was nervous. _He never talks of this. I hope he wants to talk about it- I don’t want to force him. I don’t want him to relive anything. I don’t want him to-_ he opened the door and looked to her hesitantly,  - _to hurt anymore._ Her chest tightened as she watched him walk across the room. The Commander of the Inquisition, the strong, tough, intimidating Commander looked so…small. He didn’t make eye-contact with her. He sat down on his side of the bed slowly and he sighed loudly before he sat next to her.

“Scáthach,” he pulled her hands to his, “Please know I am not the man I was. I did- I did things I’m not proud of but they have made me who I am. _Please_ believe me,” his strong hands were barely holding on to hers.

“Cullen, I know. I love you. I will love you despite what you tell me,” she placed a hand on his arm, “And you don’t have to tell me everything. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, ok?” She looked to him, pleading with him to let her in just a bit. He pulled both her hands back into his.

“I,” Cullen swallowed, “I’ve,” he sighed, “I was a recruit at Kinloch. New to the whole routine, really,” he was staring at her hands, fiddling with them as he spoke, “My friends were my fellow recruits,” he laughed, “some were like family. We’d play jokes on one another, cover for one another and kept the secrets we were asked to keep, without hesitation”. He smiled.

“Secrets?” she asked, realizing she had spoken out loud, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ask”.

“It’s fine,” he shot a quick look to her and then focused back on her hands, “Mostly it was just the basic ones; who was sneaking out, who got too drunk to go to their shift, who had lovers, mage or not, and,” he laughed, “Who was really bad at cards,” he felt better when he heard her chuckle with him.

“About two years after I was inducted, Kinloch was taken over by demons,” he stopped talking, trying to block out the images coming back to him, “I- I was about to start my shift when it happened. My friend, Drass, was the first I saw effected. A desire demon made him believe that they were married and that the mages he was watching after were going to kill him and his family. I rounded the corner as he slit their throats,” Cullen recoiled, “Maker, they were children, not old enough to have their harrowing. Not old enough to know they were in danger. Not old enough to know they should have run,” he sighed, “I ran back to warn the others but it was too late…” he looked to her quickly, “Abominations move quickly. They were everywhere.  I had to kill a mage I was in charge of. I know he was scared but he raised his staff so I had to kill him. I couldn’t risk it. That made the other one, his lover, an elven woman, try to attack me but I cut her down too. By the time I made it through I had killed probably 15, 16 people. I remember cutting them down, some without mercy, some just because they had defended a friend or reached too quickly for a staff... And I killed them so easily, Scáthach,” she rubbed his hands, he couldn’t look to her, though, with the tears forming in his eyes, “One of the abominations ripped a new recruit _literally_ in half in front of me. I was so scared,” he scoffed, “I was scared even after I had killed those people. When I looked down my hands, my body, was covered in blood that wasn’t mine so I ran. I ran to get the First Enchanter, to a _mage,_ who was only a floor a way. Steps. I was climbing steps so quickly. My lungs were burning when I reached the top, but I could get to him faster than my Knight Commander, and he could help. I didn’t think. I just ran. I ran right into a fucking trap. A desire demon was in front of the Harrowing chamber and all I could do- all I had time to do was place a ward around myself and hope for the best. I had to endure. I had to survive. I couldn’t let it take me over. I couldn’t become Drass. I couldn’t” he sniffled, “I didn’t know how long I was there. I still don’t know. The demon…” he winced, “It showed me _things_. Things I didn’t know I was even capable of thinking. Sometimes, for just a split second it would get to me. My ward seemed to make it difficult to read me. It would show me killing other Templars that I didn’t like, becoming Knight-Commander, or it would show me happy things like, with a family. It got angry, though. It started showing me killing them and enjoying it. It made me believe I _liked_ to kill. Maker, I didn’t realize it sometimes. If the Hero of Ferelden hadn’t shown up when she did, I don’t think I would have survived much longer. I was so tired. I was starting to believe the lies. What it said to me still rings in my ears, and what was frightening was that a lot of it…the demon was right,” He huffed, “That’s what I’m terrified of. I’m terrified that if the Hero hadn’t shown up what I would have done to keep that fantasy alive. Maker, if you were my fantasy I would have killed everyone in that tower to keep you alive.”

“Cullen,” Scáthach spoke softly and he looked to her, ashamed but she reached up to him and ran her hand along his jaw.

“I would have, Scáthach, and that is enough to keep me up some nights,” he scoffed, “My nightmares now include you”.

“What?” she pulled back slightly, not away from him completely but enough to look at him.

“I dream- I _have_ dreamed that,” he looked to her again, wanting to feel _something_ for what he dreamed, “I dreamt that I knew you were a demon and that I still killed everyone in Kinloch for you. That I willingly tore apart any who resisted, and that I knew you were pulling my strings and I didn’t care. I didn’t _care_. But when the nightmares are me reliving Kinloch,” he looked away as images flashed in his mind, “Sometimes I kill you…and I can’t stop. I just push my sword through your chest and you smile at me, teeth sharp and eyes glowing. My nightmares almost always involve you now. The last one you said you didn’t want me. That you didn’t need me. That if I was strong enough to take the lyrium again that you’d have me. And I did. In the dream, I did….without a second thought”.

“I would never ask-,” she looked at him with such worry and Cullen just placed his hand against her face, smiling as she leaned into it.

“I know you never would. But without the lyrium…they can be very convincing”. Cullen stopped talking, guilt washing over him once again. He hadn’t intentionally remembered the events at Kinloch in such a long time that he had given himself a terrible headache.

“Cullen,” he looked to her, expecting her to be angry or recoil from him, something, anything, but she just leaned in and kissed his cheek. _She should be furious. Angry, disappointed, anything._

“Why are you fine?” Cullen’s voice was terse now, harsh compared to what she was used to hearing, “Why are you not upset with what I’ve done,” Cullen’s mercurial temperament rising to the surface.

“Cullen, that was a decade ago,” he placed a shaking hand over his mouth and pulled it down, resting his chin atop the now balled-up fist, “I’m not fine, I’m frightened,” he winced, “but not at what a young man did in the face of such dangers. I’m frightened that you’ve been holding this in for as long as you have”.

“You’re- You’re defending my actions? Did you not hear me? I _slaughtered_ them. They could have been fine. They could have-”.

“Killed you?” Scáthach asked quietly.

“You don’t know-“ Cullen felt his anger resurface.

“ _Neither_ do you”. Cullen had opened his mouth but he knew she was right.

He pulled his knees up close to his chest, then placed his head on his knees, “I’m…I know there’s no way to know what would have happened to me if I had not reacted the way I did,” he squeezed his legs tighter, “but it still haunts me. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget, Scáthach”.

“You would never allow yourself to forget, Cullen, but I will help you face your nightmares nonetheless” she leaned against the headboard and placed a pillow in her lap, “Come here,” she patted the pillow.

 

Begrudgingly, he unwound himself from the ball and rested his head on the pillow, and curled his legs up slightly. She ran her hands through his hair and laughed quietly to herself.

“What?” Cullen asked, his eyes struggling to stay open now that he had exhausted himself to depletion.

“My siblings and I used to have this tradition,” she began rubbing his temples, “Every year around the holidays we used to stay up late and just talk,” she sighed, “I think you and I should do that, a new tradition for us”.

“I’m afraid I’ve talked more than you,” he opened his eyes to look at her and she was smiling at him.

“That’s ok,” Cullen sat up and had meant to pull her into a hug, but he kicked the nightstand when he tried to bring his feet around, knocking the reports to the ground _again._

“Fuck!” He exclaimed and Scáthach couldn’t help but to let out a giggle, “I’m glad to see my pain is your amusement,” he bent over to pick up the reports and felt a light tap on his bottom followed by another giggle.

“Did you just smack my ass?” He sat down next to her with the reports in his hands.

“Maybe,” she kissed him quickly, then noticed the pile in his hand, “What’s this?” She reached for the envelope that was on top.

“Another invitation to probably yet _another_ Orlesian ball,” he handed it to her then set his reports back on the nightstand.

“No, this is a dinner” she looked at the envelope, and pointed to the ribbon, “The horizontal ribbon with gold means a dinner”.

“You nobles are so strange” he laughed until he saw her face, “What? What is it?”

“It’s not Orlesian, it’s from the Free Marches… It’s from my parents”.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm back from my vacation! But I managed to catch a cold, so even though I went over this I'm sure it's littered with errors (hello, meds). This was mainly a set up for day 18.. And this is 100% different than intended. This was supposed to be fluff and that just nose-dived right into angst mountain, which I have a time-share at, apparently. 
> 
> Nevertheless, thank you for reading! I'll be posting regularly once more to try to catch up with the days...which means this will probably end up finishing in January. But I will finish it!


End file.
